Mail-box.



PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905.

0.. 8. WHITE.

MAIL BDX.

APPLICATION FILED HAR.83.1905.

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sriss mar MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application filed March 23, 1905. Serial No. 251,643.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that LORMOND S. VVHrru, a citizen of the United. States, residing at W ilkesbarre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in mail-boxes, and more particularly to guarded closures therefor.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, durable, and convenient device of this character which will not clog or choke until the box is full and which when full will be prevented from opening to receive more mail.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the box that its contents may be quickly and easily removed by the mail-collector.

With the above and other objects in view.

the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail-box constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same,showing in full and dotted lines the closed and open position of the guard device for the receivingopening; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 denotes a receptacle or container in which letters or other objects are to be deposited and collected. This box or receptacle is preferably of square or rectangular form and is provided with a swinging cover or top 2, which is hinged, as shown at 3, upon one side of the box. The cover is preferably of semieylindrical form, as shown, and is adapted to be secured in its closed position by the usual hasp 4E and padlock 5. The upward opening movement of the cover is preferably limited by a brace 6, which is pivoted, as at 7, upon the'inside of the cover and is formed with a longitudinal slot 8, through which projects a stop 9, provided upon the inside of the box 1.

Adjacent to the front of the curved top 11 of the cover 2 is formed areeeiving-opening 12 for letters or other objects. This opening is normally closed by a sliding lid or cover-plate 13, which has its ends coacting with guides let, provided upon the inside of the cover 2. The guides 14 and the slide 13 are curved or segmental-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and said slide 13 is carried by end plates 15, which are pivoted, as shown at 16, upon the inner faces of the ends of the cover 2, concentrically with its curved top 11. These end plates 15 are in the form of segments and are actuated by a swinging guard-plate 17, which has its lower end bent forwardly at an angle, as shown at 18, and which has a forwardlyprojecting guard flange or stop 19 extending longitudinally above its bent portion 18. Coacting with the swinging guard-plate 17 is a second reversely-swinging guard-plate 20, which has at its ends flanges 21. The guard-plate 20 is pivoted, as shown at 22, adjacent to the upper ends of its flanges 21, and it is actuated by links 23, which connect said flanges 21 to the end plates 15. The connection of these links 23 is such that when the lid or slide 13 is slid upwardly to its open position said guard-plate 20 will be swung inwardly and upwardly within the guard-plate 17, which latter will have its lower end tilted forwardly, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The lower end of the guard-plate 2O swings upwardly above the bent portion 18 and the flange 19 of the plate 17, so that it will be impossible to insert any wire or other instrument between said. plates for the purpose of removing mail from the box.

The construction, operation, and advantages of this invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be seen that when the slide 13 is opened by swinging its finger-piece upwardly mail may be deposited through the opening 12 into the pocket or chamber formed by the two guarddates 17 and 20 and that when the slide is released the parts will return by gravity to their normal positions and the mail will be dropped into the box 1. Owing to the swinging movement of the guard-plate 20, the letters will be distributed evenly upon the bottom of the box and when the latter becomes full the slide will be prevented from being opened as soon as the letters bear against the lower ends of the guard-plates and prevent them from swinging. By mounting the cover 2 upon the box 1, as shown and described, the removal of the mail from the box by the collector will be greatly facilitated.

The letters Will all be found upon the bottom of the box, where they may be readily grasped and removed.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mail-box or the like having a receiving-opening, a slide to cover and uncover said opening, a pivoted guard-plate movable angularly With said slide, having its pivot remote from the slide, and further provided With a guard-flange at the angle thereof, a pivoted guard-plate having its pivot near the path of the slide, and a link connected to the first-mentioned guard-plate at a point near its free end and to the last mentioned guardplate, at a point near its pivoted end,to cause said guard-plates to simultaneously and re- Versely operate.

2. A mail-box or the like, having a receiving-opening, a slide to cover said opening, coacting reversely-swinging guard-plates actuated by said slide, one of said plates being adapted to swing Within the other, and a guardflange upon the latter.

3. A mail-box or the like, having a receiving-opening, a slide to cover said opening, end

plates carried by said slide and pivotally mounted Within said box, a guard-plate connecting said end plates, a guard-flange upon said guard-plate, a second guard-plate pivotally mounted Within said box to coact with the first-mentioned guard-plate, and a link connecting said second guard-plate With one of said end plates.

4. A mail-box or the like, having a receiving-opening, guides adjacent to said opening, a slide upon said guides to cover said opening, end plates carried by said slide and pivotally mounted Within said box, a guard-plate connecting said end plates and having an angularly-bent lower-portion, a guard-flange above said bent portion, a second guard-plate pivotally mounted Within said box to coact with the first-mentioned guard-plate, and links connecting said second guard-plate With said end plates, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

ORMOND S. WHITE. Witnesses:

ROBERT J. BLAIR, QUINoEY A. GA'rns. 

